Salem Hospital wins approval to build new lobby, entrance

SALEM, Mass. – Salem Hospital, a member of Mass General Brigham, has received approval from the City of Salem Planning Board to add a modern, well-designed and patient-friendly main entrance and reception lobby to the community hospital.

The project will help ensure that the primary entry point to Salem Hospital supports patients and families with a welcoming experience and important amenities. Arthur Epstein, a local philanthropist and generous friend to the hospital, has pledged a sizeable donation to support the project.

“Arthur Epstein is an incredible man and we are so grateful for his generosity,” says Salem Hospital President David J. Roberts, M.D. “His support has been transformative for our organization and will enable us to address a critical need for a welcoming and accommodating reception space for patients and families.”

The $15 million lobby/entrance project will reconfigure the current main entrance location at Davenport 4, enclose the open-air walkway and expand the interior lobby and services. The new lobby encompasses more than 10,000 square feet of modern, well-designed space, bathed in natural light. Features include a covered drop-off area, a greeter station staffed with helpful ambassadors, security, a gift shop, a refreshment station and comfortable, technology-enhanced seating areas for patients and family members awaiting rides or loved ones who are have surgery or other appointments.

The Salem Planning Board approved the project on July 8, with an agreement from the hospital to enrich the landscape plan. The project will begin in October 2021 and is scheduled for completion in January 2023. During construction, patients and visitors will be redirected to a temporary main entrance through the former Mass General for Children’s hospital entrance.

Salem Hospital has made significant improvements to its facilities in recent years, prioritizing patient care spaces including a new Emergency Department, improved surgical space, 24 new private inpatient rooms and the 120-bed Epstein Center for Behavioral Health, which was also funded in part with a $5 million donation from Mr. Epstein. The lobby project is an important component of a multi-year campus redesign and coupled with new signage and wayfinding being installed this fall, will continue to improve the patient experience at Salem Hospital.

Salem Hospital is a member of Mass General Brigham, an academic healthcare system founded by Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital that is uniting great minds to make life-changing impact for patients in local communities and around the world. Serving the North Shore community for more than 100 years, Salem Hospital provides innovative medical, surgical and psychiatric care through an array of inpatient, outpatient and virtual settings including Salem Hospital, the Epstein Center for Behavioral Health, North Shore Physicians Group and a medical staff of nearly 700 physicians practicing in a wide range of specialties. For more information, please visit nsmc.partners.org. For information about Mass General Brigham, visit massgeneralbrigham.org.

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